Julian Edelman wishes he could tell you his fumble against the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday night was the first devastating turnover of his football career.
But the New England Patriots wide receiver came clean Wednesday morning.
During his weekly interview on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show," Edelman admitted his brutal third-quarter fumble versus Baltimore -- which safety Marlon Humphrey ran back 70 yards for a touchdown that all but sealed the Ravens' 37-20 win -- reminded him of an even more brutal turnover he committed as a sophomore in high school.
"We were playing in the championship game," Edelman said. "Woodside High School (Edelman's school) versus Menlo Atherton. We were tied with, like, nine seconds to go. They were on their 30 (-yard line). I was playing deep safety. The (quarterback) went back and chucked it up, I went and jumped for an interception, caught it.
"I was putting my (hand down) -- we call it a ‘stumble-bum,’ where you put your hand down to keep yourself up while you have the ball in your other hand – and a guy came and scooped it, took it from me and scored.
"They won (the game), won the championship, two undefeated teams, rival schools. So, it’s pretty much (like that), bro: Sunday Night Football against a really good football team. You can’t make those kinds of errors, and I felt like crap about it."
While on a smaller stage, that sounds like a much more heartbreaking turnover, since it came on the final play and cost Edelman's team a state championship.
New England Patriots
Find the latest New England Patriots news, highlights, analysis and more with NBC Sports Boston.
Edelman found redemption two years later, though, guiding Woodland to a 13-0 record and a state title as a senior in 2004.
The Patriots are on bye this week, so Edelman will have to wait until Nov. 17 against the Philadelphia Eagles to bounce back. But the veteran wideout has already put last Sunday's fumble behind him.
"You had to move on and play the next play and the next series, and I felt like we did that," Edelman added. "We didn't quit by any means. .... So, we're moving on to Philly."
Click here to download the new MyTeams App by NBC Sports! Receive comprehensive coverage of your teams and stream the Celtics easily on your device.